Qualifying for the USA Winter Olympics team has been like clockwork for Oak Park and River Forest High School alum Emery Lehman. During the USA Speedskating Olympic Trials at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Jan. 4, Lehman, a 2014 OPRF graduate, won the men’s 1,500-meter race in a time of 1:44.202 to secure a spot on the Olympic team for the fourth consecutive time.
“I’m so grateful to have the opportunity and support to be able to dedicate myself to this dream of being an Olympic champion. It’s always an honor to represent Team USA,” said Lehman.
The 1,500 is a four-lap event around the skating oval. Lehman’s respective splits were 24.2 seconds, 25.8, 26.5, and 27.5. Casey Dawson was runner-up, 1.40 seconds behind Lehman, and Conor McDermott-Mostowy was third, 1.69 seconds behind.
“Every piece of the puzzle lined up perfectly. There are so many elements of a race to focus on and you train them every day so that when you step to the line, you hope they are so embedded in you that muscle memory takes over and you just have to remember to breathe,” Lehman said. “That’s what happened. It was effortless. Don’t get me wrong, I was dead tired after, but all those little pieces just fell right into place and I skated the race of my life.”
In addition to the 1,500, Lehman will be part of the men’s team pursuit unit at the Winter Olympic Games, taking place Feb. 6-22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. At the 2022 Games in Beijing, China, Lehman was part of the USA team pursuit that won a bronze medal. Since then, he’s skated regularly with the unit, which is the reigning world champion.
Lehman won his first world team pursuit title at last year’s World Single Distances Speedskating Championships in Hamar, Norway, March 14, alongside Dawson and Ethan Cepuran, a Glen Ellyn native. It marked the first time since 2011 that the USA won gold in the event. Currently, Team USA holds the world record with a time of 3:32.49, one that was established at the ISU Speedskating World Cup in Salt Lake City in November.
Lehman feels that the key to success for the unit is pure dedication to one goal – being Olympic champions and the best in the world.
“Our coach, Gabriel Gerard, has been our fearless leader and never faulted from his belief in us,” he said. “He has pushed us to limits we never knew were possible, and it’s an amazing feeling to see all the hard work paying off.”
Oak Park native Emery Lehman at this month’s U.S. Olympic Speedskating Trials in Milwaukee. Lehman, a 2014 OPRF graduate, qualified for his fourth consecutive Winter Olympics and will compete in the men’s 1500 and team pursuit events at next month’s Games in Italy. (Courtesy of Noel Stave) 
Oak Park native Emery Lehman competes at the U.S. Speedskating Olympic Trials in Milwaukee earlier this month. Lehman, a 2014 OPRF graduate, qualified for his fourth consecutive Winter Olympic Games and will compete in the men’s 1500-meter and team pursuit events in Italy next month. (Courtesy of Noel Stave)
Lehman hopes to keep the momentum going as he prepares to head to Italy for the Games. While the 1,500 will be challenging to get a medal given the loaded nature of the field, he’s confident about a good showing. He’s also looking forward to helping Team USA win gold in the team pursuit, which is an eight-lap race.
“Individually, I want to feel I put together the best race I’m capable of. If I’m able to do that, I think I’ll be happy with the results,” Lehman said. “As for our team pursuit, we want to win. We’ve had an amazing journey and success with our team, but the last piece is that gold medal. It would be amazing to bring it home not only for us, but for all those who have made it possible for us to stand on that line.”
